Turf Teq’s Power Unit and Attachments

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Turf Teq brought out its power unit and attachments for me to use.

The first thing I liked about the machine is the power unit, which has a 13 hp Honda engine and oil filter with plenty of power, and the attachments are quickly changed so this unit can be used all year long. I also loved the fact that the machine came with tie-down points, so there is no worrying about where to hook the straps for transport.

The controls are easy to use and understand. The left hand controls the attachment engagement, and the right hand controls the forward and reverse. With the hydrostatic transmission, it was a breeze to use. Squeeze the handle and it goes forward; let go and it stops; pull back on it and you have reverse. The units have an adjustable ground speed control that is easy to change at any point to match the speed with the job being done. The machine also comes with a differential lock, and with a quick flip of the lever, it will give you more traction when needed. Fit and finish was very nice on all the equipment. Everything worked as it should, and changing attachments was quick with easy-to-remove safety covers for access.

Turf Teq’s Power Rake can be used on any surface, even steep inclines, and can be used for preparing seed beds and lawns, raking rocks and debris left or right, and preparing and renovating lawns without damaging the turf.

I ran the Power Edger to open up some new beds; it turns on a dime. You can make tight turns without any problems, and put a clean edge 5 inches deep. It left the soil nice and fine to be spread in the beds. The bed-opening blade went right though roots and any rocks it came in contact with, and with a little practice I could even make a nice curved bed edge. The cutting blade has a nice rounded cover so I could get up tight to pine trees and shrubs without damaging them. With several blade choices, you can open beds, groom them and even do trenching for dog fences and such. Blade changes were quick, with only a wrench needed. The Power Edger was much faster and easier to operate than some of the other machines I have used in the past. With hydrostatic drive, hills were no problem; the machine never ran away from me.

Turf Teq’s power unit and attachments can be used for almost any job that a landscape professional encounters.

I used the Power Rake to clean up some heavy, muddy soil. With a 36-inch-wide drum, you could cover big areas fast. The rake could be used in forward or reverse or even without the drum spinning to push heavier soil to where you need it. You can angle the machine right and left to windrow the rocks and soil to the side with the pivot trigger on the handlebars. I could also use the Power Rake for seeding, as it would lightly till up the soil for overseeding or tear it up real good for grading and then seeding. It also works as a dethatcher to thin out the turf. I like that I can take this in areas that my large, tractor-mounted rake can’t fit, and that I can load this in a pickup truck for times when I don’t need a big machine. The Power Rake is a huge time-saver over hand-raking areas.

Now for the Power Broom—what a great machine. It can be used for cleaning up snow on walkways and driveways, along with any other job you would use a broom for. I used the broom for thatching the lawn with the optional thatching kit that adds caster wheels to the front of the unit. It did a great job of removing the thatch and leaving the desirable turf undisturbed without making a huge mess of the lawn and limiting the debris that has to be hauled off. Cleanup was easy, as all the thatch was windrowed to one side. With a 46-inch-wide broom with infinite height adjustment and a two-speed broom it was fast and easy to get the job done.

Think you’ve got what it takes to put some new gear through its paces? Can you write a complete sentence and craft a piece like this? Contact Publisher David Cassidy at dcassidy@MooseRiverMedia.com to get your name on our list of Turf magazine Field Test experts!